Welcome to today's encouragement from our Daily Bread Ministries.

My name is Mike Whitmer, and I called today's reading, Learning from Scars.

Faye touched the scars on her abdomen.

She had endured another surgery to remove esophageal stomach cancer.

This time, doctors had taken part of her stomach and left a jagged scar that revealed the extent of their work.

She told her husband, scars represent either the pain of cancer or the start of healing.

I choose my scars to be symbols of healing.

Jacob faced a similar choice after his all-night wrestling match with God in Genesis

Chapter 32.

The divine assailant wrenched Jacob's hip out of socket, so that Jacob was left exhausted

and with a noticeable limp.

Months later, when Jacob massaged his tender hip, I wonder what he reflected on.

Was he filled with regret for his years of deceit that forced this fateful match?

The divine messenger had wrestled the truth out of him,

refusing to bless him until Jacob owned up to who he was.

He confessed he was Jacob, the heel-grabber.

He'd played tricks on his brother Esau and father-in-law Laban,

tripping them to gain advantage.

The divine wrestler said Jacob's new name would be Israel,

because you have struggled with God and with humans,

and have overcome.

Jacob's limp represented the death of his old life of deceit

...